Method of manufacturing flexible hose



Jan. s. 1945.y E w. EEEENE E, 2,366,853

l METHOD oF llg'EmJr-UFECTURING FLEXIBLE HOSE l Filed Aug. 'r-, m42' "lill flieg".

Patented Jan. `9, 1945A UNITED STATES METHOD oF MANUFA 1 Hose CTURING FLEXIBLE Charles W. Greene, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to The Flex-O-Tube Company, a corporation of.Dela

Ware

Application August 7, 1942, Serial No. 454,067

6 Claims.

This invention relates to the method of manufacturing braided hose or like structures.`

'Because of the fact that various types of nexvible hose are not self-supporting during braiding or weaving, it is necessaryto manufacture the sameon mandrels which presents a diflicult problem in removing the finished hose from the mandrel.

Accordingly, it is the object of the instant invention to provide an improved method of Vmanufacturing braided hose wherein the hose may be removed easily from the mandrel over whichit is manufactured.

Other objects will become apparent by reference to the Afollowing detaileddescription taken. in connection with the accompanying drawing. in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal View "part in `section and part in elevation of a mandrel over which flexible hose is braided..

Fig. 2 s'a longitudinal view part in ,section Vand 'part in elevation of the mandrel shown in Fig. 1 wax coated prior to braiding a hoseV thereoven Fig. 3 is a longitudinal view part in section and l part in elevation similanto Figs. l and 2 showing a, hose braided over the waxed mandrel.

Fig. 4 is a more or less Idiagrammatic view showing how the braided hose may be mobilized with respect to the mandrel.

Fig. 5 is a more or less diagrammatic view showing an alternate method of mobilizing thel hose with respect to the mandrel. Referring now to the .drawingwherein like numerals refer to like and. corresponding parts throughout the several views; the novel method of manufacturing braided hose or the like disclosed-in the drawingfor the purpose of illustratingthe invention comprises the providing of a' smooth brightly finished or polished mandrel Ilwhich is coated by dipping or otherwise with a thin coating II of a, hard high temperature wax such as carnauba wax, or candelilla wax, or a liigh temperature amorphous paraffin wax, or a blend thereof, or a compound- Vof waxes and the like, hard at room temperatures and having a high melting point, preferably from- 140 to 185 degrees Fahrenheit The hard wax or composition coating II must be of suillcient hardness to support the strands of the hose I2 braided o r woven thereover' and, while the said wax coating is at room temperature, maintain the said hose I2 in spaced relationship with respect to the mandrel I0.

` VAfter providing the said mandrel l0 with a suitable hard wax coating II, a hose I2 composed of one or more layers I3 ofcotton, fibre glass or the like isl braided or woven thereover. The said waxcoatedmandrel having the hose I2 braided thereover is then subjected to suiiicient heat to melt the wax coating and mobilize the hose I2 with respect tothe mandrel; the said hose I2 absorbing sufficient of the wax coating II to reduce the pressure of the woven hose AI2 on the mandrel While the melted wax II serves as av lubricant to admit of ease in' withdrawing the hose I2 from the mandrel I0.

Where the materia1 from which the hose I2 is woven is of low capillarity and it is possible for heat to penetrate from the outside of the hose I2 to the Wax coating II on the mandrel I0 without deleterious excessive heating of the hose I2, then, heat to melt the wax is preferably appliedY from the outside of the hose I2 by employing a plurality of infra-red lamps and turning the mandrel on which the hose is woven during the heating thereof as illustrated in Fig. 4. In

the majority of instances this method will give the best results inasmuch as. when the infrared rays penetrate the hose I2 and wax coating II and heat the surface of the mandrel I0 so V 30 Fahrenheit, above the temperature of the melted wax Il which materially increases the capillarity ofthe hose I2 with respect to the melted wax I I; With the hose I2 progressively hotter from the insideouta large proportion of the melted wax coating Il upon becoming melted dissipates Y readily into the hose I2 while the remainder of the molten wax serves as a lubricant between the hose I2 and the mandrel I0 whereupon the hose I2 becomes completely mobile with respect to the mandrel I0. The turning or rotating of the mandrel during heating assures evenness of heating and absorption of the wax by the hose.

hence assuring complete mobility ofthe hose with respect to the mandrel.- j

In the event of employing infra-red lamps I5 als a source of heating. as illustrated in Fig. 4. bayonet slots I4 of the mandrel I0 cooperate with oppositely disposed nibs I6 extending from a slowly rotating shaft I1 over which a mandrel III is telescoped. This bayonet connection or other anchorage of the mandrel I0 to the slowly rotating shaft I'I causes the mandrel I0 to rotate with the said rotating shaft I1 and anchors the said mandrel `III while the xhose I2 is Withdrawn manually therefrom. The said rotating l pended claims.

shaft iii is cantilevered from and rotates slowly on such means as a pair of spaced thrust ball bearings it fixed in a suitable support le. 1i pulley- 2d keyed on the end il@ of' the shaft il extending from the support id and the V-belt drive 2i connected to a suitable source of power are employed to rotatethe said shaft il and the mandrel lil thereon. When sumclent heating time has elapsed to heat the hose l2, melt the wax il, and heatl the surface of the mandrel i@ above the melting point of the wax il, the infraif. andasse red lamps l and the source of power rotating i the mandrel it are shut off, and the hose it) is withdrawn from the mandrel iii. The mandrel l@ is then removed from the rotating shaft il? and is cleaned, cooled and otherwise made ready for a subsequent cycle of operation.

Where the material from which the hose i2 is woven is of suicient capillarity to absorb the wax readily when raised to its melting point, or when reiiective or other coatings are applied to the outside of the hose i2 or between the layers lid I3 thereof, then, heat to melt the wax coating Il on the mandrel l2 and dissipate the wax il into the 4hose l2 may be applied from the'inside as illustrated in Fig. 5.

In the event of employing steam heat to heat the mandrel lli from within suiiicient to melt the wax coating -il between the hose l2 and mandrel ill, equipment such as illustrated in Fig. 5 may be used. A stationary heating element 3U cantilevered from a steam return main "3i telescopingly receives the mandrel it; bayonet slots I4 of the s aid mandrel l0 cooperating with oppositely disposed nibs i6 extending from 2. The method of manufacturing braided hose comprising the wax coating oi' a polished mandrel with a wax solid at room temperatures and while reinforced by said mandrel to support the braiding of a hose thereover and to space said braided hose from the mandrel, braiding hose overI the said waxed mandrel while said wax is at room temperature with braiding material composed of thread-like strands applied under such tension as not to penetrate through said wax into contact with said. mandrel, and applying penetrating heat to said woven hose from the outside thereof sumcient to raise the temperature of the hose to a, temperature progressiiely hotter from the inside out until the wax becomes molten whereby to create a. condition of maximum capillary attraction of the wax to the hose causing a portion of the wax to dissipate into the hose while the remainder serves as a lubricant n from the outside thereof sufficient to raise the the said heating element 30. 'Ihis bayonet onl nection or'other -anchorage of the mandrel l@ to the heating element 36 holds the mandrel i@ onto the said heating element 30 when the hose I2 is withdrawn therefrom. Live steam sup- .plied to the heating element 30 througha steam supply line 32 and apertured jet 33 passes into ythe said heating element 30 and out therefromY into the said steam return main 3i as indicated by the arrows in Fig.` 5. When sumcient heating time has elapsed to heat the mandrel i@ and melt the wax coating I l thereon, the hose i2 is withdrawn from the mandrel it. The mandrel I0 ifs then removed from the heating element 30' and is cleaned, cooled and otherwise made ready for a subsequent cycle of operation.

temperature', of the hose to a temperature progressively hotter from the inside out until the wax becomes moltenwhereby to create a condition of maximum vcapillary attraction of the wax to the hose causing a portion of the'wax to dissipate into the hose while the remainder serves as a lubricant between the4 hoseand the mandrel, and withdrawing the said hose from said mandrel.

4. The method of manufacturing braided hose comprising the wax coating of a polished man- Although but two modied forms of the invention have been disclosed and described herein, the novel method and method steps comprising the invention may-be altered and changed as required to accommodate the invention to varying conditions encountered when practicingv the invention, all without departing from the scope of the invention asdefined by the ap- I claim: i

l. The method of manufacturing braided hose comprising the wax coating of a polished mandrel, braiding hose over the said waxed mandrel, and applying penetrating heat to said woven hose from the outside thereof suiilcient to raise A -the temperature of the hose to a temperature and the mandrel, and withdrawing the said hose from said mandrel.

drel, braiding hose over the said waxed mandrel, slowly rotating the mandrel and simultaneously applying penetrating heat to said woven hose from the outside thereof suilicient to raise the temperature of the hose to a 4temperature progressively hotter from the inside out until'the wax becomes molten whereby to create a con-- dition of maximum capillary attraction of the wax to the hose causing a portion of the wax to dissipate into the hose while the remainder serves as a lubricant between the hose and the wax into contact with. said mandrel, slowly rotating the mandrel and simultaneously applying penetrating heat to said woven hose from the outside thereof sufficient to raise the temperature of the hose to a temperature progressively hotter from the inside out until the wax becomes molten whereby to create a condition of maximum capillary attraction of the wax to the hose causing a portionof the wax to dissipate into the hose while vthe remainder serves-as a, lubricant between the hose and the mandrel, and withdrawing the said hose from said mandrel.

6. 'I'hemethod of manufacturing braided hose comprising the wax coating of 4a polished mandrel hardenable at room temperatures and having a melting point from 140 to 185 Fahrenheit, braiding hose over the said waxed mandrel,

slowly rotating the mandrel and simultaneously 5 applying penetrating vheat to said woven yhoseV from the outside thereof sumcient to raise the temperature of the hose to a temperature progressively hotter from the inside out until the wax becomes molten whereby to create a condition oi' maximum capillary attraction of the wax to the hose causing a portion of the wax to dissipate into the hosewhile the remainder serves as a lubricant between the hose and the mandrel, and withdrawing the said hose from said mandrel.

` CHARLES W. GREENE. 

